Exclusive: ‘Clear vision needed for fast rail link’

THE Government has been warned that a clearly defined vision needs to be drawn up for its much-vaunted high-speed rail link to ensure Yorkshire’s creaking transport infrastructure is not overwhelmed.
Lord BerkeleyLord Berkeley
Lord Berkeley

The chairman of the Rail Freight Group, Lord Berkeley, told the Yorkshire Post there are growing concerns that both Leeds and York will become “bottlenecks” for services as they are located at the end of the eastern branch of the proposed HS2 line.

Lord Berkeley stressed that while his organisation remains broadly supportive of the controversial project, he urged the Government to provide more details as to how both passenger and freight services will continue further north than the two Yorkshire cities.

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He revealed that he has had a meeting with officials from both the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail when he voiced his fears that there was not a clearly defined timetable for the project.

Lord Berkeley said: “There are worries about a lack of capacity while the line is being built, and also what happens once services arrive in Yorkshire. There is a possibility of a major bottleneck as there does not appear to be any clear detail as to what happens for anyone wanting to travel further north.

“The freight industry needs the confidence of customers and investors, as we have to compete against road hauliers. The Government is supportive of freight being transported by rail, but we need to have assurances.

“I have spoken to Government officials who have told me that there is still plenty of time before phase one of HS2 is to begin in over a decade. But with such a major infrastructure project, the debate has to start now.”

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The proposed high-speed line represents the biggest rail project in generations to link Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester with Birmingham and London, and is seen as key to bringing multi-billion pound economic benefits across the country.

However, staunch opponents have claimed that any financial gain is negated by the scheme’s spiralling costs and its impact on the environment.

The Yorkshire Post revealed on Wednesday last week that the Government had begun a concerted fightback against critics, with Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin warning the public against listening to “scare stories” about the escalating financial bill.

Mr McLoughlin stressed the wide economic benefits of the line, citing a new report by KPMG which suggested HS2 could add £15bn a year to Britain’s GDP – including £1.9bn in Yorkshire.

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He claimed the figures should allay concerns of council leaders in Wakefield and Bradford that their cities will see little benefit.

But the DfT admitted yesterday that major question marks remain over the timetabling of services while HS2 is constructed.

A spokesman said: “Providing space for 18 trains an hour in both directions, HS2 will free-up badly needed capacity across the train network. Doing nothing won’t give us the extra space needed for more intercity, commuter or freight trains on already overcrowded lines.

“We know the freight industry is anxious to secure its share of released capacity and we will work with them to ensure that HS2 takes freight off the roads and on to the railways. HS2 when it is built could take half a million lorry journeys of the M1, M40 and M6 combined.

“No decisions have been made on changes to timetabling of existing services and we will consult before they are.”